The application, program criteria, and other resources for the Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program are now available. Eligible entities can start building their applications for Community Transportation Needs Assessments or Mobility Projects.
The Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot provides funding for the design and implementation of clean mobility projects in California's historically underserved communities. $20,000,000 in total is available in 2020 for two types of projects. The Community Transportation Needs Assessment Voucher (up to $50,000 per project) helps communities engage their residents to identify their biggest transportation needs and the types of mobility projects that will work best for them. Mobility Project Vouchers (up to $1,000,000 per project) fund the implementation of projects that increase access to transportation, designed with community priorities at the forefront. Examples include zero-emission carsharing, carpooling/vanpooling, bike- and scooter-sharing, ride-on-demand and innovative transit services.
We recognize that Californians are currently focusing on responding to the evolving health and economic crisis. To ensure that applicants have time to refocus their energy and develop their application, the timeframe for the program has been adjusted as the Program Administrator works to accommodate and respond to shifting circumstances.
As of now, the program will accept Community Transportation Needs Assessment Voucher applications starting June 1, 2020, and approve them on a first-come, first-served basis. Mobility Project Voucher applications will be accepted starting at a later date to be determined – but applicants may still begin designing a Mobility Project.
The exact timeframe for when Mobility Project applications will be accepted will be announced as soon as possible. Ample time will be provided between the announcement and the opening of the application submission window for all requirements to be completed.
Background
CARB announced a grant solicitation of $17,000,000 as part of the Fiscal Year 2017-18 Low Carbon Transportation Investments and Air Quality Improvement Program Grant Solicitation for an administrator to implement the Clean Mobility Voucher Pilot Program.
The Clean Mobility Voucher Pilot Program, one of several Clean Transportation Equity Projects, is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative putting billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment -- particularly in disadvantaged communities. Funded by the cap-and-trade program through CARB, the Clean Mobility Voucher Pilot Program is intended to improve clean transportation access and to increase zero-emission and other clean mobility choices for disadvantaged and low-income communities.
The vision for this program is to streamline the grant application process and help smaller entities and communities with limited resources access grant funding, addressing a core recommendation of the Senate Bill 350 Low-Income Barriers Study for overcoming barriers for low-income and disadvantaged communities to access clean transportation and mobility options.
CALSTART, Inc. was selected as the program administrator through a competitive solicitation process. The administrator team, including CALSTART, Shared Use Mobility Center, GRID Alternatives, and Local Government Commission, has developed a streamlined voucher application system to fund eligible car sharing, bicycle and scooter sharing, vanpool, ride-sharing, and other clean mobility options to benefit disadvantaged and low-income communities. An additional $20,000,000 has since been added to the program from Fiscal Year 2018-19 and Fiscal Year 2019-20, for a total of $37,000,000.
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